Installing software on Linux has gotten progressively easier over the years, down to being downright foolproof in Ubuntu's Application Center. However, there is still the problem of each distribution relying on its own frontends and backends, and this needs to be addressed. Members from all the major Linux distributions have held several talks, and have come up with a solution which is already being implemented.

Most of you are thinking about things the wrong way. Think about it from someone you know who has lots of problems figuring how to to use their computer and especially with finding and installing programs.

The idea of this is that all the back end stuff is hidden from the user. All they see is a list of programs, maybe put into Types, where they can browse through or search for a type or title of a program and only have to click "Install" to install it no matter what (for the most part) distribution they are using.

This will be a HUGE confidence boost for people thinking about using Linux or people (nerds and geeks) that are currently hesitant to put Linux on computers that their friends and family use.

You will want some kind of vetting for the apps like on the Apple app store to make sure programs with viruses or whatever bad things you can think of, do not get added to the store. But it could also have something where you "prove" you are an adult and you also get porn if you want it.

The idea of this is that all the back end stuff is hidden from the user. All they see is a list of programs, maybe put into Types, where they can browse through or search for a type or title of a program and only have to click "Install" to install it no matter what (for the most part) distribution they are using.

You will want some kind of vetting for the apps like on the Apple app store to make sure programs with viruses or whatever bad things you can think of, do not get added to the store. But it could also have something where you "prove" you are an adult and you also get porn if you want it.

Actual policy is just ok: package from upstream, test and publish. For me, tagging software according to some moral or religious views is an implicit form of censorship (and I'm speaking about the "adult" thing). For those parents worried about their kids having access to nudity or so on, they have plenty of apps and configurations they can set up after a clean install. Peer reviews, voting and other online metadata is a much better method to hint users about an app that a single entity or company filtering.